Slayers: The wheel of fate
by KurenaiNoKitsune
Summary: A few years after try a new kind of enemy threatens to destroy the world. Armed with a new member, the team goes off on a new trek. Will Linatachi save the world again? Will they stop chaos and destruction? Will I stop writing stupid jokes everywhere? ...
1. A dark stranger always means trouble

A dowmo, everyone!

I'm here to combine the best in fantasy, Slayers, and the best in computer games, Soul Reaver. But, as the song says, don't be discouraged, because you don't need knowledge about Soul Reaver, besides most of the story doesn't have to do anything with Soul Reaver. I'll let you know everything you have to, though if you do know it, then you know that the concept is much like Slayers.

For those who have no idea what's Soul Reaver- In Soul Reaver two worlds exist: the material and the ethereal realm. Much like phisical and astral plains in Slayers. The big and bad are the Hylden, classical deamons with red shining eyes, and the hidden evil 'the dark powers' as everyone refers to it, is one ancient parasite-deamon with a body that exists mostly in the etherial realm, somewhat like a mazoku. The good guys are the race of the Vampires. The story unfolds as an old prophecy says. Two champions, one Vampire and one Hylden, fight for all of Nosgoth (wich is the name of their world), while they were manipulated by 'the dark powers'. The Hylden champion, Raziel, gets to know the manipulation and sees trough the prophecy. He sacrifices himself and gets deminished into the sword of the Vampire hero, wich was than imbued with enough power to defeat the parasite. But, it wasn't destroyed completely...

Some things have changed since you last saw the Slayers crew after Try. Lina and Gourry, but mostly Lina, got a magic shop in the outskirts of Seiruun. They're engaded, and live happily. Amelia and Zelgadiss just married, and they had quite enough of formal life. By the way, Zel's human again. All in all, everything's awfully happy and slow, so they really need some action.

Disclaimer: I don't own 'The Legacy of Kain' series. And I said this enough times, but I still don't own Slayers. I will someday though.

/-------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter I: A dark stranger always means trouble

-in Nosgoth-

After Kain killed Moebius and defeated the ancient paracite-deamon himself, things seemed to go normally. The Hylden were still enprisoned in their own dimension and the Vampire race was saved. And because Moebius the time streamer, the great manipulator was gone, Kain was free to use the knowledge and the equipment he left behind.

Somewhere below a mountain of ruins, in a chamber, a dark figure walks into the middle of a magic circle carved into the ground. It descended to its right knee, like saluting to an unseen boss. "You ordered me, master?" A distinctively male voice said slowly.

A large eye appeared infront of him with only slits as pupils, like a cats eye, and turned to look at the figure. A deep and old voice spoke and it rumbled the whole room. "It is time."

The figure stood up, and the voice continued. "You shall travel to another realm and plant the seeds of the wheel of fate... my seeds." The figure nodded slowly.

"I already sent the needed items. The rest, is up to you." With that more eyes appeared in random position on the wall, all pointing to the middle of the room.

"I won't fail you, my master." and the figure showed his fist as a representation of his confidence.

"Your predecessor, Moebius, was foolish enough to do it. I hope, you learned from his demise." Came the answer to his actions.

As the figure lowered his hand the magic circle under him started glowing, and energy started to emitt from all of the eyes on the wall. Than with a flash of magic light the figure disappeared, leaving a now empty and silent room behind.

All the eyes, except the one that appeared firstly, faded away, than it lit up as if it sensed something. "Kain..."

/-------------------------------------------------------------------

In the time-steaming chamber, where Moebius used to manipulate fate itself, Kain kept his eyes on the happenings in the underground room. With the magical portal, he could spy on the plan of the paracite-deamon and the new servant he sent.

After it sensed his appearence, he quicly broke up the spell, and the image faded away.

"You never give up, do you..." said Kain with folded arms to no one in perticular.

He needed to find a way to the dimension the deamon wanted to put hands, or rather tentacles, on. But after extensive research, he only found a way to transfer inanimate objects to the other dimension, so he made a plan and prepared one of the time-streaming chambers.

He pulled out his sword and held it with both hands, like an ancient relic. "Now, Raziel... it's up to you... Find someone worthy, and save Nosgoth once again."

With that, he put the sword and an old amulett into the middle of the chamber, than tuned the device to the apropriate coordinates and started it. Light appeared and electricity shot from place to another making sparks, than the objects disappeared with a flash.

Kain took a last glance at the position, where he put down his sword "And so it unfolds. The battle continues on another level, with combatants of new power and old goals. I'm actually sorry I can't be there."

/-------------------------------------------------------------------

-in the Slayers universe-

"Gourry you pinhead!" said a rather annoyed Lina while walking down on the stairs leading to the shop-half of her house. "You forgot your keys again!" But it was too late, the swordsman already left.

"He goes to shop every sunday, and almost every time he forgets something..." Said Lina to no one in particular. "Ah, well. Let's start dinner." and her frustrated expression turned to her usual time-for-food one. She walked to the kitchen and started to gather the pans and knifes, but stopped, when she heard a sound. It came from the shop and sounded like something metal-like hitting the ground.

"It can't be Gourry, he just left." thought the sorceress and started to walk for the doorway, but stopped again when she saw a red flash of light. She redied a spell and her hands started glowing with energy. She walked into the room and found the source of the sound.

"Who are you, and what do you want?" demanded the red-head with her glowing hands pointing at the intruder, who was surely male. He had long white hair tied in a low ponytail but didn't look old. Infact, he looked like he's in his early twenties. He was dressed as a mercanary with shoulderguards and a rather strange wrist armor with blades welded to the sides of it. What really strange was, were his eyes. They were white as well.

The guy pointed his eyes at Lina and inhaled. He stopped and his expression turned to a deeply thinking one. "No idea... and, no idea." answered the stranger.

"What!..."

"I said, I can't remember my name, or anything else."

She walked a bit closer to the man with her spell still armed. "How did you get in here? The door is locked."

"The first thing I can remember is me running into that table." and he pointed at a table full of magical items and bottles. Lina looked over the place and found an amulett on the floor that was thrown there from the table, and shattered while doing so.

"You have to pay for what you break. AFTER I had a talk with you."

Just when she finished her sentence the guy put his hand on his forehead like he was in sevre pain. It only lasted for a second and the guy's expression turned to a quite frightened one.

"The dark powers..." murmured the guy with fear in his voice.

"You' alright?"

He shook his head and his normal confident expression returned. "We're in danger."

"So you remembered something? Like where's your wallet?"

The guy sweatdropped. "I'll pay for that already, but now... I need to remember. I know that a dark force is trying to destroy this world."

"Again? This is atleast the fifth time now."

The stranger raised an eyebrow. "I assure you, I'm not your enemy. Infact I need some help. I was sent here and I have to know why."

"As much as I know, you could be the one that want's to destroy the world."

"If I'm the one, than why would I tell you it."

Lina started to think over all possibilities and made her mind.

"Alright." said the sorceress while dismissing her spell "Tell me all you know."

/-------------------------------------------------------------------

The sun is ready to set and the sky's starting to turn red. Ameria's wathcing the perfprmance from a balcony in the palace with her thoughts far away from her body. They're all about her adventures while traveling with Lina-tachi. She really missed those days, even the one's while she had to sleep with Lina. She managed a silent sigh just when the half-closed door behind her creaked open.

"You can't miss one sunset, can you?" said Zelgadiss in a low voice.

"They're too beautiful to miss."

While she said that Zel walked next to her with his gaze at the setting sun just like Ameria's.

"And it still can't beat your smile." and he turned to her. She did the same and gave Zel a smile that really made the sunset look less clourful. He than put his hand on her left cheek and closed in to meet thier lips in a firm kiss.

"Usually I'm the deeply thinking one... What's the matter." said Zel now with Ameria in his arms.

"I always knew I'll miss the travelling, but not this much."

"I know what you mean... You know, we still have three months for a honeymoon. I know you want to go to The beaches in Ralteague. We can trek there like in the old days."

"That would be wonderful! Just the two of us, on road again."

/-------------------------------------------------------------------

-meanwhile at Lina's-

Lina and the white-haired intruder were sitting at a table in the dining room, having a conversation.

"What kind of 'dark force' are you talking about?"

He crossed his arms and tried to think "Hmmm... I don't remember much, but I think one with tentacles."

Lina made a classic facefault on the table.

"Geez, now that's enlighting."

The man raised his index finger "Sorry, but my memories are returning slowly, and I only see the small pieces."

"Good thing I had practice." said a bit frustrated Lina with her hand on her forehead. The man raised an eyebrow at that comment.

"Mind as well ask Gourry when he's back. He's a pro when it comes to forgetting things."

"Ooookay..." his voice trailed off "Who's Gourry, what do you mean by pro in forgetting, and why do I need someone who's good in forgetting when I need to remember?"

"He's... my bridegroom." said Lina with a bit of red colour on her cheeks "and he actually has ways of remembering."

Just when she wanted to start another sentence, she was stopped by a knock on the door.

"That's him right now." said the sorceress and walked for the door.

She opened the door to see two giant bags of food and stuff with legs.

"Didn't you forget something?" asked Lina in a sarcastic voice.

"Yeah, my keys." answered the walking shopping basket.

"Just put those down in the kithchen. Dinner's late because we have a guest."

"Oh, and who's it?"

"I dont know."

"Wha'?" Gourry was a bit more confused than usually.

"I thought only I forget things like this."

"It isn't me who forgot, it's him." said Lina while sweatdropping.

"Oh..."

/-------------------------------------------------------------------

Gourry packed down everything and they all sat down at the table.

"Oh, by the way... I haven't intoduced myself." Lina put on her most confident smile and pointed with her right hand in the distance making a quite dramatic pose.

"I'm Lina Inverse world famous sorceress extraordinare."

The man sweatdropped.

"That's Lina Gabriev in about a month." said the swordsman while smiling at his loved one's performance.

"I'm Gourry Gabriev. Nice to meet you."

"Well... I would tell you my name, that is, if I remembered it." While he said that, he tried to remove his shoulderguards.

"Man I hate these things..."

While he was having a fight with his clothing, Lina and Gourry leaned close to eachother and started a private conversation.

"He looks like a mercenary, doesn't he?" Asked Lina while looking at the guy.

"If he would be one, than he would know how to take off his own armor."

"You have a point there. Hey... umm... you!" shouted Lina making the guy stop his comic attempt.

"Are you, by any chance, a mercenary?"

"Hmm... don't think so. I hate armor."

After he said that he seemed like he had an idea. He put his hand ontop of his shoulderguard and started a chant just under breath.

"...UNLOCK!"

As the spell succeded, his armor fell to the ground and the guy was quite happy with his success. He made a victory sign and smiled like he wanted to mimic Ameria.

"A warrior mage then..." said Lina to no one in particular.

"Could be... I know a lot of spells." then it hit him like a mace in the head "That's right! I am a mage!"

"Good. Now do you know where is your wallet?"

Now the guy made a deep impression on the table.

"Sometime a hit in the head can help remember. Did it help?" asked Gourry with a childish voice.

"No, but now I have a headache." said the guy, a bit annoyed.

The guy started to rub his head but stopped almost right after and it seemed that it hurt more.

"Remember me not to do that again..." and his voice trailed off while he was looking at a tinch of hair hanging infront of him. He looked quite surprised, than grabbed his ponytail and brought it front.

"Since when is my hair white..."

"We'll take you to Silphiel tomorrow." said Gourry while standing up.

"She's a healer, and a friend of ours." explained Lina.

"Okay... But in the meantime, can I buy new clothes? Oh and..." he cut off his sentence and pulled out a small bag from behind his back. He opened it and gave Lina some golden coins.

"I think these will be enough for the damage I caused."

Lina took a look at the coins and her eyes went wide.

"Where did you get these? They're atleast a thousand years old!"

"That can't be. I got them fresh from the mint. I know, because they were the payment for a job, though I can't remember what it was..." his voice trailed off, crossed his arms and was off thinking.

"You're right. These look fresh." Said Lina with still a bit wide eyes.

"Can't you be wrong? I mean, many coins exist. Maybe you mixed them up." Gourry tried to find an answer.

"I don't DO wrong. I'm absolutely positive. These kind of full golden coins were made only before the Kuoma-sensou."

The guy snapped out of his trance "The what?"

"The Kuoma-sensou... the war of the mazoku." Lina tried to explain, but the guy only tilted his head a bit to the side, and looked confused.

"You know... when Shabranigdo was ressurected and-"

"WHAT! Shabranigdo was ressurected!" the guy shouted with a really frightened voice.

"Now this is getting scary." said Lina to no one in perticular.

She started to look like she was on trail "Okay. Tell me one thing if you're a mage then... What is the strongest black magic you can think of."

The guy again crossed his hands and went into a deep thinking position.

"The Ruby-eye blade."

"Oookay..." Lina's voice trailed off "Do you know anything abot Rei Magnus?"

"Who's he?" asked the guy, again with a tilted head.

"AHA! Now I'm sure." said Lina while she hit her fist into her palm.

"Of what?" asked Gourry who, by now, lost the line.

"There are two possibilities. First one is, that you lived in a cave all your life."

"Wich is not the case." said the guy while sweatdropping.

"The second possibility is..." she inserted a dramatic silence, inhaled, than pointed at the guy and raised her voice "... that you come from a thousand years from the past!"

"That's just plain crazy." said the guy while shaking his head "Now... will someone please help me find a tailor?"

"I'll take you to one." offered Gourry with childish excitement in his voice.

"Wait!" said Lina and walked off to the shop half of the house, and came back with some money "They won't except these here. But I'll make you a deal. I'll buy them." She said that with a large, and mischievful, smile.

They changed bags and Gourry took off with the no named. Just when the door closed Lina seemed to remember something.

"GOURRY! You forgot the..." her voice quited down as she realised they're off "-keys. Whatever."

/-------------------------------------------------------------------

As the two were walking down the road, the white haired guy was more amazed by the second.

"This is some city."

"Yeah, it's the holy city of Seiruun, one of the largest cities in the world."

"Sei-ruun... Shabranigdu's ressurection... maybe she is right." the guy said this in a low voice, so that Gourry hadn't even noticed it.

"The shop's over there." Gourry pointed at a building with old styled double push-doors.

They entered the place and the noname started to survail the surroundings. The place was not the one he was used to. It was huge, with all kinds of clothes from warrior to casual women's clothing, everything in every colour. The shopkeeper quicly got their attention.

"Ah, you're just in time, we're closing in half an hour. What kind of clothing are you intrested in?"

"Something like a sorcerer wear, but I need to move a lot. Travelling proof and it must have a cape."

"Must?" asked Gourry who's almost got lost in the clothes. "That's wierd, Lina asked that her clothes must have a cape too... wonder why."

"It's easy, we, sorcerers, can enchant the cape to hold stuff we don't want to loose. Or to be taken away."

"That explains a few things."

The shopkeeper went off to find something, and it didn't take him long to do it. He came back with a clothing that looked somewhat like Zelgadiss' old travelling clothes, but it was light blue and on the ends it had dark purple lines. It lacked the mask and hood, but that was irrelevant to him.

After he tried it on, he made a few training movements to test it and than bought it.

"Now this is much better."

"You can sleep at us, atleast for this night." said Gourry while they were walking back to the house.

"Thanks."

This is, when Gourry noticed an amulett around the guy's neck. "I think Zelgadiss wore something like that."

The guy took a look at it, than put ut under his shirt.

After about five minutes they were at the front door. Gourry made the usual movement and reached for his keys but he quicly realised that there were, again, left behind. He sweatdropped and turned to the guy.

"I think we have a problem."

"Let me solve it." and he put his hand above the keyhole and started to chant, but instead the usual light and the sound of a click, he got an electric shock from the keyhole. He was a bit on the crispy side and only managed to say aowie with some smoke.

"Sorry about that. Lina made the house burglar proof."

"I... noticed that." and he dusted off his new clothes.

After the fireworks Lina opened the door.

"Next time I'll tie the keys to your neck." said Lina with a sarcastic undertone in her voice.

Than she saw the guy.

"Tried the unlock spell, eh?"

"Stupid world... stupid century... stupid electric lock." the guy mumbled.

/-------------------------------------------------------------------

On the next day Lina, Gourry and the guy went to see Silphiel and got a surprise when they entered the waiting room. Only one man was in the room and that man was-

"Zelgadiss! Are you or Ameria sick or what?" asked Lina in her usual direct way.

"Hello Lina, Gourry and... you are?" Zel's voice trailed off as he got a good look at the guy.

Both Lina and Gourry looked at the guy, than he shook his head "Still no idea."

"So that's the problem." said Zel looking through the situation at first glance as usual.

"You still haden't answered, Zel." said Lina while doing her tell-me-what-I-want-to-know look.

"Ameria felt sick today morning and I wanted to be on the safe side."

"And why are you out here?" again Lina with her direct ways.

"She asked me to stay here."

"Hmmm..." Lina's voice trailed off as if she just found out the meaning of life.

Zel only raised an eyebrow, and just then Ameria opened the door.

"Lina-san! Gourry-san! It's so nice to see you!" and despite her whoozyness, she grabbed both of them in a hug.

"Ahh... I want my own time." said the guy, almost crying.

"Is everything alright?" asked Zel in a concerned voice.

"Yes, just... some weak flu."

Ameria noticed the guy and turned to Lina.

"A friend of yours?"

"Not really... a man from the past with a message that says, 'a dark force want's to destroy the world'."

"What?" she needed some time to process the information.

"Oh, yeah... and he has amnesia." added Lina.

"Wait a sec!" Zel said while standing up "You said a dark force wants to destroy the world... again?"

The guy sweatdropped.

"What's with you people? Monday picnic, Tuesday dinner with friends, Thursday weekly apocalypse, or what?"

"Well... I'd say yearly." corrected Ameria.

The guy now made an impression on the ground. And a quite deep one. "Why me..."

Ameria crouched down to the still lieing man.

"And how do they call you?"

"Well... Hey you."

Now Amelia sweatdropped.

"You need a real name." said Ameria with her usual bright smile. She started to think, and then snapped.

"Ken!"

Everyone tilted their heads to the side.

"Why?" asked Lina.

"Short for kenboushou."

Now Lina sweatdropped.

"Thipical. You meet someone with an amnesia and name him amne."

Zel only smiled at her choosing.

By now 'Ken' got up. And started to analyze his new name.

"Ken... Ken... Not bad. It'll do, atleast until I found out my real name."

Just then, Silphiel opened the door to call the next patient.

"Gourry-san, Lina-san nice to see you." and she walked to them to greet them.

Ken got a bit of red on his face and forgot to breathe for a few seconds.

"A dowmo. Are you the next patient?" asked Sil with a small smile.

He only stood there, like a statue.

"Oh, my. You must be really sick."

Lina sweatdropped "I don't think you can heal this kind of sickness." and with that she whacked Ken's head. He than pulled himself together.

"Umm... Yes, I am."

"And what's your problem?" asked Sil with her usual shy smile.

"Umm... I forgot."

Lina sighed and put her hand on her forehead.

"He has amnesia. And he has no grilfriend."

Sil was a bit confused at the last comment.

"Oh... and what's your name?"

"Umm..." his voice trailed off and he looked at the others.

"Ken." Ameria said with a smile.

"Oh yeah, Ken."

"Great, this is the second time he forgets his name." said Lina with her hands in the air.

/-------------------------------------------------------------------

After a complete checkup, Silphiel couldn't find anything that could cause the amnesia. The whole group was in Silphiels waiting room.

"This is just great. I can't remember anything of use and I have only two things from my own time. My wrist armor and this amulett."

"Amulett? Why didn't you tell me you have one?" asked Lina.

"Well... I forgot. Besides, you hadn't asked."

"Let's have a look at it." and as Lina said that everyone got a bit closer and they surrounded Ken. He pulled out the amulett and took it from his neck. As he gave it to Lina it started to glow, and he dropped it to the ground.

"What in Ciefied's name..." said Ken with as much surprise in his voice as everyone else had on their faces. Everyone backed away atleast a step, and the amulett started to project an image.

It was Kain who stood there.

"This is a recording, and it must be seen by the one that was choosen."

They all glanced at Ken.

"What? I know exactly as much as you do."

Kain continued "Your world is threathened by a deamon wich calls himself a god and his work the wheel of fate. Wich is a well devised plan to feed him. It needs souls as you need food, and will probably deploy Hylden to slaughter the population of your world in order to feed himself."

After that images of the Hylden were shown. Some were three metre tall, green and had blades instead of hands. Others were black and could shoot electricity from the spikes on their body.

"Now that's not good." said Ken while sweatdropping.

"The only weapon that can destroy it, is the Soul Reaver. In order to use it, a human must be imbued with a supernatural force. The other condition is that the wielder has an indestructable soul. That is my job to give you it."

With that said, the amulett flashed a bright red light and you could of felt the energy filling up the room.

"From now on, the persons around you and yourself are bound on the etherial realm, thusly imbueing you with enough power to use the Reaver. Though you must be close, and the amulett needs to be there, but it's a small price to pay for such a weapon."

The image faded away.

"The deamon has sent it's servant to your world. He's designation is to open a portal trough our worlds. For it, he needs five crystals and a place with enough magical power. The choosen one will sense both the servant and the crystals... good luck."

"Is there a replay button on this thing?" said Ken while stepping closer to the amulett.

"If that all's true, then where's that Reaver thing?" asked Gourry.

And as if someone heard that, the amulett gave a last flash of light and the sword appeared above it, than fell to the ground.

Zel had an unreadable expression on his face, Ameria was shocked as Silphiel too and Gourry seemed to lost the line after the first sentence.

"Can you play that again? I didn't quite catch everything." said Gourry while looking at a quite deeply thinking Ken.

"Is it broken?" asked Ameria at the sword's form.

Ken picked up the blade. It was indeed a strange weapon. It had a normal tilt, but the middle of the sword had a vampire skull as a form with large bat-like ears. The blade of the sword came out of the mouth of the skull and was waved four times.

"I think it was ment to be like this."

He than put the amulett back on his neck.

After a few moments of silence...

"Gourry." said Lina with her eyes on him. He glanced back and nodded.

"We'll help you." said Gourry and he put his fist at a shoulder level. Lina put her hand on his, than Ken did the same. "Thanks."

"As a princess of Seiruun and a warrior of justice, my job is to defend the people." and Ameria put her hand on Ken's.

"I'm your husband, my job is to defend you no matter where you go and how many deamons attack." Zel put his hand on Ameria's while their eyes were lost in eachothers.

Than everyone was looking at Silphiel.

She inhaled and wrapped her hand into a fist "Many evil beings tried to destroy the world, and many have died because of them. And now we have the chance to stop it before it happens. I'll go too." and she finished the pile.

Ken made a grin "Let's kick some deamon ass."

/-------------------------------------------------------------------

Much thanx for reading! Sorry if the english was a bit too combined, my slang with the old Soul Reaver text. And don't worry every idiotic detail has it's purpose, and yes I REALLY have a plotline. Infact I had to write it down because it got too complicated.

The next chapter'll have some fight and some Xellos bashing. (somevery much by me¢) 


	2. First encounter

A dowmo! u You know what? I found out that I'm just like Lina. (No I don't wear girl's clothes) I blow things up. Though I do it by accident. You know the days, when you start repairing a cd-r drive and it turns out that it's a bomb. Or a power supply, or a motherboard (don't ask how, I still don't know), or a cooling ventilator, or the microwave. (I'm still afraid of these things.) ...

Disclaimer: I don't own 'The Legacy of Kain' series. And I still don't have enough money to own Slayers. ( I'm saving to buy Ameria atleast u)

/-------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter II: First encounter

After the group made their mind, they all went to pack. Ameria and Zelgadiss managed to talk Phil into letting them go as a 'diplomatical mission'. Lina and Gourry closed the shop and Silphiel did the same to hers. In the same afternoon they were all ready and standing infront of the palace gates. All except Ken.

"Where is he!" screeched Lina with glowing red eyes "We've been waiting for half an hour now!"

"Maybe he forgot where we said to meet." said Gourry while TRYING to seem like he was thinking.

"Amnesia doesn't work like that Gourry-san." said Silphiel with an index finger raised.

"Hey guys! Missed me?" huffed Ken while dashing in. Just when he arrived Lina hit him in the head with a slipper.

"Aowie" Ken exclaimed while rubbing his head "Why did I get that for?"

"Being late." said Lina with a pokerface.

"Anyways, I'm ready so let's go!" he shouted while pointing high up with an index finger and with his cape flapping in the wind. A few seconds passed and none of them moved.

"So... where DO we go?" asked Ameria while poking Ken.

"I have absolutely no idea." -everyone facefaulted.

After they all got up Ken seemed to have an idea. "The green guy from the amulett said, that I can sense the crystals and the enemy."

"And do you sense anything?" asked Zel while dusting Ameria off.

"Let's try..." he than reached back under his cape and pulled out the Reaver. He held it with both hands and closed his eyes. The air was filled with pulsating energy and than he opened his eyes, wich were lighting, though only for a second. When it all died down, he put the sword away while all of the gang watched with wide eyes.

Ken made a grin and pointed at a direction, wich was direct west.

"Well... atleast we know that it works." Lina stated.

"Okay people, the world won't save itself, so let's get moving." said an enthusiastical Ken.

They all broke off direction West, though they hadn't realised they were watched. A dark figure kept his eyes on the performace Ken just gave, and it seemed it was quite amusing to the stranger. He was in a dark alley, but after the team walked off, he just faded away while taking a step backward.

/-------------------------------------------------------------------

Lina-tachi crossed the gates of Seiruun and were on the good-old dustpath. After a few minutes of silence Lina noticed that Ken was wearing a large backpack.

"Where'd you get that?" asked Lina directly as always.

"I went shopping. By the way, I was late because of this." explained Ken while holding an index finger infront of him.

"And how far is our goal?" asked Ameria, who had quite enough of silence.

"No idea... I suppose I sense it when we're close."

"So, as much as we know, we can walk like this 'till we hit an ocean. Is that what you're saying?" said Lina with an undertone wich could kill someone.

"Well... if you put it that way... yes."

He again got slippered by Lina.

"Aowie. Why did I get THAT for?"

With a pokerface again "Being stupid."

Silphiel just sighed and walked on. She WAS used to such company, but that was a long time ago. They were walking in silence for a few minutes, but than Zelgadiss seemed to notice something.

"Is it just me, or is everything too quiet here?" asked the ex-chimaera while he had an arm around Ameria, who after his comment, started to look around.

"You're right. There's no bird chirping or whatsoever." confirmed the princess while she had a bit concerned expression.

After that Ken stopped in his tracks, making the whole group run into him and the one's before them.

"What is it now?" asked Lina with annoyance in her voice.

"Remeber, that the green guy said I can feel the presence of the crystals and the servant of the deamon." Ken tried to give them a hint of what happened.

"Yeah, you said that before." said Gourry with absolutely no idea of what he wanted to tell them.

"It's here."

As he finished his sentence a ball of energy hurled towards them. Silphiel was first to cast a windy shield than everyone, except Gourry, joined in. The energy burst bounced off their combined shield as a gumi-ball off a wall would, sending an area of trees on fire on their left.

"Who did that!" shouted a now really angry Lina with a fireball already in hand.

On the hill before them, a dark figure walked out from technically out of nowhere and turned from translucent to solid. He then pulled off his hood and showed his face, wich was a bit more frightening than what Lina-tachi expected.

He had short black hair and a normal built, but his eyes were totally grey. He didn't had any pupils. On his forehead, he had the sign of the etherial realm, like Moebius had the sign of eternity. He carried a staff almost like Moebius'. It was two metre long with an orb on the end, and a snake biting the orb and spiraling down till the midle of it. The only distinction was, that the orb was golden.

"You!" the guy said with a voice that startled the whole gang, "Pull out your weapon!" shouted the guy while pointing his staff at Ken.

"The servant of god I presume." Ken said with a sarcastic undertone.

"You" the guy stepped closer "shall" he threw his cloak on the ground "show" the orb of the staff started glowing "your weapon."

"If you want your butt kicked so badly, then you can have it." And with that he pulled the blade out from under his cape. As soon as he did, the reaver started to glow with blue energy. He held the sword with both hands and pointed the sword at the man.

"Wow, you are good with that sword." said Gourry with sparkling eyes.

Ken sweatdropped -"I think it's more the other way around."

"What'?" said Lina while she tilted her head to the side.

"I said-" and he was cut off by his own sword wich thought that it would be better to attack the stranger. Ken started to struggle with the blade and it seemed, that the sword was winning.

"Kain may have given you a weapon capable of destroying us, but he surely made a great error." said the stranger with a laugh on the end. Than in a second, his expression changed and he attacked the group.

Gourry was first to counter-attack. He quickly pulled out his sword and tried to strike the man from the right, but he was unhumanly quick and strong. He blocked his sword with his staff than quickly turned 360 degrees and hit Gourry in the back with the orb of the staff making a small flash escape it. He than fell to the ground and his sword slided a metre away from him.

"GOURRY!" Lina exclaimed with concern and rage in her voice. She enhanced the fireball spell to a maximum level and threw it at the intruder, who was by now almost beside them. The group was in a new formation and tried to make a half circle around the attacker. The fireball spell was blocked by the orbed staff and catapulted way off.

By now Zel and Ameria both finished their chant. They instantaniusly shouted Elmekia Lance and tried to hit the attacker, who was a bit surprised. He turned aside and could get out of the way of the first spell, wich shot by an inch away from his face, but the second hit him. It wasn't a direct hit, but it did some damage to his left arm.

You could tell that he got angry from the sound of his teeth screaching. He strenghtened his grip on his staff and pointed it at the pair. In the same instant a golden ball of energy shot with supersonic speed and hit the ground under them, sending the two flying with an explosion.

Lina ran to see if they're alright and tried to keep one eye on the attacker. By now Ken got some practise with his sword and tried to strike the guy with a slash from above. The man was surprised, but still, he could block the attack by placing his staff above him and holding it with both hands.

As the two weapons collided a huge shockwave flew from the collision point making the dust under them flying out in waves. They both were than tossed back by an unseen force. After a second they were on feet again and ready to strike.

As the battle continued Silphiel got an idea. She didn't knew any, now helpful, battle spells, but she remembered a spell she used as a healer wich could help. She pointed her hand at the staffed warrior and started a chant.

"...Ray freeze!" the shout of her startled both of the fighters, but it was the attacker, who got the surprise part of it. Her spell hit him in his right upper chest and lamed his right arm. He than took a glance at his left arm, wich was still damaged on the astral plane "Damn, I can't win with only one injured arm." He than started to roar and whammed his staff in the ground with as much power as he could, making the whole landscape shake and making everyone on foot fall to the ground.

He bowed slightly and started grinning "We shall, meet again." and while he said that he faded away.

A few seconds passed and nothing happened. It was then, when they realised he was really gone.

Everyone, except Gourry who was unconscious, sighed and let their muscles rest. They still layed on the ground where they fell.

"Good thinking, and thank you. I don't know if I could defeat him with this sword running amok." said Ken while turning a bit to Silphiel.

"Don't mention it. Are you injured?"

"No, but I think you should see the others." said Ken while standing up.

They noticed that Zel already started healing Ameria's slight injuries while he gave the "it's only a scratch" number to her. The one that seemed to need help was Gourry. He was still lieing on the ground with an unusually concerned Lina kneeling beside him. Silphiel walked to them and took a look at Gourry, than turned to Lina.

"Don't worry, it seems to be a normal sleeping spell." explained Sil while starting to ready a counter-sleeping spell. When she finished it Gourry opened his eyes slowly.

"What happened? Why am I on the ground? ...Did we win?" Gourry started to ask.

Lina's expression turned to a shy smile "We've won. Next time... try to stay awake." said Lina with an uncharacteristically soft voice.

"No we haven't. We were only lucky, and that's... not good." said Ken with a serius expression and while putting his sword away.

"Some day... we got beaten up by one man." added Zelgadiss to the conversation.

"I don't think he was human... atleast not completely." Ameria joined in.

"Whatever he was, he'll be back and we have to get ready." Ken finished.

They all got up slowly and resumed their journey.

/-------------------------------------------------------------------

After an hour of travel they reached a town, and because it started to get dark they wanted to spend the night there.

"Stop being so slow people! The guy said the inn's this way." Lina tried to keep the spirit up, not to mention get to food.

After they turned into a new street they froze in their tracks. The inn was there, but the roof was technically shot down.

Zelgadiss gave a nasty look at Lina.

"Don't look at me like that! It wasn't me... this time."

Ken raised an eyebrow at that comment.

Lina took a look around and grabbed someone who was walking past them.

"What happened here?"

"A fireball hit the inn from the east. We still don't know who did it... would you let me go, I have to go?" the young man struggled, than Lina let him fall and go. She was frozen again.

"You were saying..." Said Zel with his voice reeking with sarcasm.

"Can it. Let's find another one."

Ameria sighed and they all turned to find a stay for the night. After a half an hour search they actually did it. They found another inn, a smaller one, but it was enough. As they went in Lina's first action was to run for the desk and get rooms, not to mention asking where's the dining room.

"Oooookay, guys we have a problem." Lina turned to the group.

"What? It can't be worse than getting trashed." said Zel with his usual sarcastic undertone.

"Because ...er... someone... had blown up the other inn, they're quite full. But I managed to get three rooms. I'll sleep with Gourry, and I'm sure you two" said Lina while pointing at Zel&Ame "want some time for yourselfs too, and that leaves you two." and she glanced at Ken and Sil.

Ken glanced at Silphiel and tried to hide his blush, than he used his most irrelevant voice he could make "I don't mind... that is, if you don't either."

She walked to Lina and took the key from her "It will be fine."

Zel did the same, and when he did, they could only see a flash as Lina and Gourry made their way to the dining room.

"What was THAT!" exclaimed Ken.

"A hungry Lina." explained Zel.

/-------------------------------------------------------------------

Everyone was hungry after the fight and the travel, so they decided to give Lina and Gourry some company. As they walked into the room, they instantly found the two, already trying to tell the waitress that they want triple portion of everything plus one.

Lina and Gourry sat at one end of the table, and Ken decided to sit next to them, than came Ame&Zel and last, but not least Silphiel. Ken was quite surprised, when the waitress showed up with all that food.

"I don't think we can eat that much, Lina." said a sweatdropping Ken.

"WE?... This is just MINE." she explained, while stuffing her face.

He couldn't believe his eyes. The food was disappearing faster than phisically possible. And that wasn't everything, just then, Gourry got his food and joined Lina in quick-eating.

Ken couldn't do anything for a minute, but try not to forget his hand on the table so that they can't eat that too.

"Aaaaaaaalright. Do like it's normal." said Ken below his voice, so that no one could hear it.

He than stopped the waitress.

"Excuse me, can I have a roast chicken?" asked Ken with his most polite voice.

"I'm sorry, but your friends ate that already." answered the waitress.

"Than... fish?" Ken tried, but only got a shaking head as an answer. They both sweatdropped.

"Than something that they haven't eaten... yet."

"For us too." added Zel, while pointing at himself and the girls.

"And tea, please." added Silphiel.

After a minute or so, the waitress came back with some soup and put it before Ken and gave Ameria some salad, than explained that that was everything they had.

"Oh, and your tea will be ready in a few minutes." said the waitress before going to the kitchen.

"What happened to the law of material remain?" thought Ken while trying to figure out where all that food went. He than sighed and tried to eat from his soup, but than stopped when he saw that Lina's trying to eat that too.

"HEY!" exclaimed Ken, than he raised his hand above the plate and made a magical shield around it "You already eaten everything here, besides this is MINE."

She hadn't looked like she heard that and still ate like there's no tomorrow.

Ken than raised his plate, grabbed his chair and walked to the other end of the table and squeezed in between Silphiel and Zelgadiss at a corner.

"'You sure they're human?" he aked from Sil. She only giggled at that "They've been like this since I know them."

He sighed again and tried to behave normal. Just than Zel's stomach started growling. "You're not a chimaera anymore, you need to eat something." and with that Ameria tried to feed Zel with her salad, but Zel stopped her, half beacause it was a bit ambarresing and he didn't like salad anyway.

"You can have this" with that Ken gave Zel his soup "I'm not hungry, besides who can eat with them around..." his voice trailed off "Hey, did you just say he was a chimaera?"

Even Lina and Gourry stopped eating for a second to sweatdrop and look at him.

"Yes I was cursed, but it was broken about a month ago." Zel explained while making invisible circles in the air with his index finger.

"That's interesting. How did you break it?"

"It wasn't me, but that's a long story. Maybe later I'll tell you, but for now..." his voice trailed off when the waitress came with their tea.

"Now this is something I could die for." explained Ken while filling his mug.

"Watch out, wishes can be tricky." Said Zel before tasting his soup.

Lina stopped eating for a second "What's with you? You haven't eaten since we met."

"I don't know, I'm just not hungry." he than took a sip from his tea and Lina resumed eating.

/-------------------------------------------------------------------

After they consumed everything eatable or not, they all went to their rooms one after another. The rooms were next to eachother and Ken and Silphiel took the one in between. As they walked in, they realised there's only one bed.

They stood there looking at the bed for a few minutes, than they looked at eachother.

Ken than crossed his arms "Hmmm." He walked to the closet and after looking trough found a pluss sheet and a pillow. "You can take the bed, I'll sleep on the ground."

Silphiel blushed a bit "You needen't... I mean we could share the bed."

"It's alright, I like to sleep under the stars." and he directed his gaze out the large window, into the starry night.

They both turned their backs at the other and changed into their pyjamas. After Sil blew the candle out, only the weak moonlight lit the room.

Ken made a smile, wich Silphiel could see because of the moonlight "Good night."

"Nighty night." Sil did the same and they both layed back.

A few minutes passed and Ken couldn't even keep his eyes shut. His brain was working overtime "I need to get control over that sword. We almost didn't make it." That wasn't the only thing that kept him awake "If it wasn't for her..." he blushed at his own comment.

"How could someone sleep with a girl like her in the same room... though I have to." with that he turned to his side with his back at Sil. It was than, when he noticed something. He could hear the wind slowly waving around the houses and trees. He could smell the food from the ground floor, and the smell of the candle wich was out for almost ten minutes.

"Since when is my hearing so good..." he tried not to think and resumed relaxing, but was interrupted once again. He didn't only hear the sounds from out of the room, but from the rooms next to them. The slow squeaking of the bed and some explicit sounds. He knew it was Ameria's and Zelgadiss' room, and after he got REALLY red he turned around and tried to cover his ears, but on the other side in the other room, where Lina and Gourry were, the same sounds came, only a bit faster.

"ARRRRGH" he jerked into a sitting position. Not wanting to wake Silphiel, he slowly got to the door and went downstairs.

"What's with me... How can someone sleep with all that..." he shook his head and went into the kitchen. No one was awake so he tried to fix himself some tea.

He sat alone in the dinig room with a candle and a mug of tea. After taking a sip, the sound of squeaking stairs got his attention. Silphiel wasn't asleep either. She joined him with her usual shy smile. They sat in silence for a few minutes, than Ken broke the silence "I still don't know exactly why you came with us. I know that Lina want's to blow something up and Gourry's following her, and Ameria said something about justice, though I didn't really understood, and Zel's guarding her like his own life..." his voice trailed off and his gaze stopped at her eyes.

"But you seem to be... motivated by something very different." he tried to redirect his eyes, but couldn't. Everyone could of seen that her eyes were than filled with sorrow.

"My father... was killed by someone, who wanted to destroy everything. If I can stop that from happening to someone else, than it's worth it."

"I see..."

Again silence overtook the whole room. After a few minutes Ken put down his mug with a bit louder sound as normal and stood up.

"I have an Idea. Stay here, I'll be right back." with that he ran upstairs and after some waiting, came back with his backpack.

"I told you I went shopping." and pulled out a map from his bag and put it on a table. He sit down on a bench and pulled the amulett from his bag too.

"What are you trying to do?" asked a curious Sil, and sit next to him.

"I want to pinpoint the crystals." and he held the amulett above the map and tried to concentrate. After a minute, nothing happened and he opened his eyes. Silphiel put her hand on his shoulder "Don't worry, we'll find them." at that Ken went red again and the amulett in his hand released a flash and five beams wich burned small black spots into the map.

They both closed thier eyes at the flash and jerked a bit backward. When they slowly opened their eyes, they got a nice surprise.

"Wow. I think that's it! We have the crytal's positions!" Ken stated with a large smile.

They both leaned closer to the map and examined the marks. "This is Seiruun city, where we started... and here's the crystal to the west." Ken explained.

"If these ARE the crystals, than we'll be at the first one tomorrow."

"Thank you." Ken said with a smile in the end, wich got Sil off-guard.

"For what?"

"Just so..."

They both made themselfs comfortable and started a chat wich streached into the night, until they both drifted to dreamland.

/-------------------------------------------------------------------

Morning came slowly to the small inn, where Lina-tachi was sleeping, and doing censored things.

The first beams of the sun showered trough all windows and gaps and there was no escape. Gourry was first to react and rolled over, but went out of bed and hit the floor.

"AUU-" his shout was stopped by his own hand, because he saw Lina while still sleeping and he surely didn't wanted to wake her.

He walked to the closet while rubbing his head, where he hit the floor. He got his pants on and reached for his shirt, when he heard a distinctable yawn. He turned around to see Lina awakened by the sunlight.

"Good morning sunshine." he greeted than gave a large smile to her.

She grinned at the sight "To you too."

She went into a sitting position making the blanket fell off her chest, revealing that she had no upper clothing on.

Just than something really unplanned, not to mention unwanted, happened. Xellos materialised before the door in the room of Lina&Gourry. His usually closed eyes were larger than saucers.

"X-XELLOS!" Gourry exclaimed.

After that a high pitched and powerful scream ran through the building along with the sound of an explosion and shaking walls. Almost everyone awakened at that and a few of them opened their doors to see what's going on. Ameria and Zelgadiss did the same, after quicly putting on some clothes, but it seemed it was a bit too quick.

Zelgadiss was wearing a pink pyjama with JUSTICE written on the breast and it seemed to be a bit small. Ameria on the other hand only wore a blue shirt wich was obviusly too big for her, but none of them realised they mixed up.

Zel quickly ran to the source of the smoke and found Lina's door blown off. On the other side of the corridor in the place of the door layed a big hole with still burning spots. Zel poke his head into the room and saw a man shaped black figure half-way integrated into the brick wall, while Ameria looked in the room of Lina&Gourry and saw a Lina red with rage and no clothes.

Zel tried to turn around, but Ame quickly put both of her hands over his eyes. She surely didn't wanted to get his husband incinerated. Zelgadiss pointed in the room "I don't know who that was, but it's still moving."

He couldn't see anything, but he surely remembered that sound. It was a fireball spell with maximum energy. He hasitantly grabbed Ameria and ran a few paces before the flaming ball flew from one room to the other. Zel put Ame down and tried to cover her with his body from the flaming pieces of wood and brick shards.

The explosion thore a hole in the wall and Xellos, along with half of the inn, fell to the street.

/-------------------------------------------------------------------

In the ground floor Silphiel was awakened too. She took a look around and realised she was sleeping on a table... with Ken next to him. She discerned, that her left hand was laying in something wet. She looked at Ken and saw, that it was drool.

She brushed it into her pyjama and shook Ken. He didn't even budged. After Sil shook him twice, she managed to get him awake.

"Aowie... my neck's killing me!" he got up and realised he was drooling.

"Sorry."

"Didn't you hear the explosion?"

"What explosion?"

/-------------------------------------------------------------------

On the street, in the middle of a pile of ruins, Xellos was regenerating. After a while he raised his hand to his face and rolled it into a fist. It made the ash fall down form his gloves. Than large grin crept over his face "It was worth it."

He slowly got up, than snapped with his fingers. In the same second strong wind blew from under him and blew the ash off of him.

He started to near the inn, wich was overfilled with Lina's rage and anger. In his eyes, it was a large table full of goods. "I think I'll take the door this time."

He turned the doorknob and slowly walked inside. A few people were watching him from the street. People don't fly trough walls than walk back inside everyday, you know. A few seconds pass and you could hear Xellos' voice from the street. "A dowmo, Lina-cha-" again a large explosion. The windows flew out and smoke came from the holes where they were.

"Girl problems..." a guy said from the street who saw the whole thing.

/-------------------------------------------------------------------

Inside the inn Xellos, again, was laying on the ground half-way incinerated. Only the combined power of Zelgadiss and Gourry kept Lina, who was dressed this time, from destroying the landscape and of course Xellos.

"Lina... I think he got your point." said Zel with such a sarcastic voice that it hurt.

"Arghhh... A-alright." Lina finally gave up, and quited down. They than let her go, but She instantly hit Xel with one last Digu Volt spell, making a nice firework.

"You had to do it." Gourry was by now fed up with it.

"Is that..." Ken's voice trailed off while he looked at Silphiel.

"That's normal." answered Sil "He's Xellos, the general priest of Jyuu-ou Zellas."

"WHAAAAAAT!" his expression was so frightened, that it fell from his face.

"Don't worry, Lina usually handles him easily." stated Gourry.

"Okay, I officially want to go home now." said Ken while almost crying.

Xellos got up again and examined the area. Lina's anger was almost more than what he could handle so his usual smiling expression was a bit disrupted. He than looked at Ameria and Zelgadiss and almost started laughing.

"Oh my. You really changed more than I thought when the curse was broken, Zelgadiss-chan." said Xellos with sarcasm and something unreadable in his voice. You could of seen that he olmost couldn't hold back the laugh.

Zelgadiss stood there a bit confused, but than he caught up. He took a better look at Ameria, than at himself and went really red. He grabbed Ame's hand "We need to change." and led her up the stairs.

"It wasn't very polite of you to drop in like that." Gourry stated.

"Next time I'll knock."

He than directed his sight to the last pair. What he found made him open one eye. It startled Ken more than The servant of the deamon did.

"My my, Lina-chan. I Didn't knew you had another dragon travelling companion."

Everyone there exclaimed in union "W H A T ?"

They all directed their eyes at Ken, who just sat there with big eyes and with his head tilted to the side.

"Me?" he said while pointing at himself.

/-------------------------------------------------------------------

A bit of property damage always makes me happier. Anyways, if I spelled the japanese name of Zellas wrong than tell me. I hope you all liked it. I have more than too much jokes and a plotline wich is almost as hard to follow as the Soul Reaver story, so this fic will go on for atleast tweolve more chapters. I'll put in a bit of romance, a bit of angst, not to mention the situation-comedy's I thought up, pluss a bit of pre-destination and paraphisics. Oh, and I have a dozen of jokes from Steven Wright, Groucho Marx and Dave Barry etc,etc... 


	3. Chapter 3

A dowmo everyone!

Steve Martin once said "Comedy is the art of making people laugh without making them puke." I'm trying to do that, and if I'm on the wrong way than tell me. I NEED reviews! And if you don't like them, than mail me, or try pigeon mail, or shout as loud as you can, just tell me what you think.

Disclaimer: I don't own 'The Legacy of Kain' series, and because I went shopping in the electro-tech shop, I still don't own Slayers. (but now I own a multi-meter)

This chapter is dedicated to A/Z fluff, just because they are my fav couple.

/-------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter III: The crystal of beginning

Everyone's eyes were pointing at a very disrupted Ken, who only sat there in a state of shock. But than he pulled himself together and broke the silence.

"You must be wrong. I don't remember much, but I know I'm not a dragon. I mean, do I look like one?"

After that Silphiel leaned really close to him so, that their noses almost touched, and started to survail his unique features. His white hair and eyes were more than strange, and at a closer distance, his nails looked more like claws.

At that Ken blushed like hell and turned to the other side, but stopped when he saw Gourry doing the same, so he just sat still and tried not to move.

"You're right!" exclaimed Gourry to Xel, than turned to Ken "You're just like Firia!"

Ken sweatdropped at that "Excuse me! Do I look like a girl to you?"

"You have to know, Firia is a golden dragon whom we were travelling with for a while." explained Lina.

"Oh... Still, I am no dragon." and with that he stood up and tried to look confident.

"I'll go and get dressed." and he walked upstairs.

Lina got near Sil and a mischievfull smile crept over her face "And what were you two doing here alone and in pyjamas?" she asked with a matching voice.

She blushed a bit, closed her eyes and tried to act natural "We were talking." than she opened her esyes "By the way, we found out where the crystals are." she stated trying to get the conversation under a rug.

/-------------------------------------------------------------------

After a few minutes Ken returned with Zelgadiss and Ameria, with normal clothes on this time, and joined the others. They than told them the news.

Ken again sat down at a table and everyone else ran a bit further, formed a circle and started a chat. The private conversation made Ken sweatdrop again.

"Hey! It's not polite to talk about someone like that!" he shouted with a wein popping out on his head

They all broke up the talking and turned to look at Ken, but than resumed like nothing happened.

Ken sighed and tried to behave normally. He folded his arms and started to think trough everything that happened to him lately. Mostly because that was all he could remember.

"An apocalypse, a deamon, a servant, five crystals, a mazoku, golden dragons, a prince and a princess, and now this... What have I gotten myself into this time."

"Okay, we'll do it." Lina's voice snapped Ken out of his trance.

"I still don't get it." said Xellos while scratching the side of his face.

Than evryone started to push Xel to the table where Ken was sitting and Lina made Xellos sit down next to Ken.

"You two stay here." and with that Lina dragged everyone else to the other side of the dining room.

"What was that all about?" asked Ken, while sweatdropping, from no one in particular.

"Sore wa himitsu desu." Xellos' voice chimed.

"Secret? ...Ah well."

They sat there for a few seconds.

Ken's thoughts were a bit confused and it all sat on his face "What are they trying to pull..." he thought to himself.

He than took a look at Xel and something unexplainable hit him. It was like something told him to hit him and go far away. He shook his head and tried to stay put, but couldn't loose the feeling and after a minute, stood up.

"Excuse me." and he walked to another table, but than...

"AHA! I KNEW IT!" Lina's voice startled everyone in the room. "No dragon can stay near Xellos for too long!" she shouted while pointing at Ken.

"Now that was tricky, and not too polite... I like it!" stated Xel with a grin.

Ken folded his arms and tried to look confident "Think what you may, I am sure I'm not a ryuzoku."

"Let's leave the topic. If we want to get to the crystal before that... thing does, than we have to go." Zel dragged everyone back to the problem at hand.

"But before..." Lina's voice trailed off, than She rolled her hand into a fist.

" B R E A K F A S T ! " Gourry and Lina cried in union.

After that the sound of breaking dishes and someone dashing trough a closed door could be heard. Lina and Gourry didn't even noticed it.

Lina ran to sit at a table and shouted for the waitress, but no one came. Gourry joined in, but still nothing happened. After a minute or so, the chéf came to their table.

"Sorry for the delay, but our waitress ran away, don't know why, and we sent someone for the other waitress, who's at home right now." axplained the cook.

"No food?" asked Lina with big teary eyes.

He sweatdropped at that.

"You just have to wait." answered the chéf. With that he left them. Lina tried to pull herself together and started a conversation to bind her time.

"So... Xellos, why are you here in the first place?" she asked while she underpinned her head with her hand and pointed an eye on him.

He walked next to the table, a grin crept over his face and he started his trademark line.

"Sore wa hi-" but he was cut short, because Lina's fist was technically IN his face.

"Finish that and you won't say anything for atleast a century." Lina's eyes were killers enough, not to mention her fist.

"I'm not in the mood, so spit it out!"

"Well..." his voice trailed off "I suppose I could give you a small hint." His usual smile grew to a grin. "Let's play with them a bit" he thought to himself.

"It's about crystals." he said with an index finger raised.

"You mean" Ken's voice trailed off, than he took a deep breath "Thosefivecrystalsscatteredwichadeamonusestoopenaportaltroughdimensionstodestroytheworld." and inhaled, because he said that with one breath.

Again, Xellos' usually closed eyes were open and as big as saucers.

He tilted his head to the side "Am I so old? So easy to see trough?"

"Hey! That's funny." exclaimed Gourry startleing the whole group.

"What?" a curious Lina asked.

"Xellos is as old as Ken is!"

"Except for the fact that I spent the last thousand years in an amulett."

/-------------------------------------------------------------------

Meanwhile in a large, dark, underground room the deamon's servant was regenerating after the battle. The room had the same magic circle the deamon's lair had, but this one had five, one metre long, altar's in equal distances around the circle. On one of it, layed a red crystal wich released a weak glow.

"This world is... unlike ours, master." the voice of the servant echoed trough the room.

"In this world, the etherial realm is too close to the material. I can't travel too far or too long, and the people here... Even the humans are a great threat."

Again, an eye appeared, but this time it was translucent. The voice of the ancient daemon rumbled the room "The stronger the people, the stronger their souls."

"There is one more problem... Kain has found a way to send the reaver here. Someone already found out what we want and gathered a group of mages to stop us."

"Mortals can't stop me."

"Yes, of course... but... there are other beings, like the Hylden here. They call themselves Mazoku and are strong."

A bit of silence came, wich was followed by more silence.

"Than it is time to let this world feel the deamons wraith."

"Yes, my master." With that the servant walked to the crystal and raised his hand above it. He chanted something and it lit up.

"The portal's open. It has begun... Eirus, make sure you get the next crystal." with that the eye faded away.

Eirus than took a step away from the altar, and his staff materialised in his right hand. "I'll make sure, master." and he faded away too.

/-------------------------------------------------------------------

After Lina got a piece of the inn-keeper's mind, and she got Ameria to paying for the damage, they broke off direction west again. An eventless afternoon passed, than they finally saw something, resembling a pile of stones. Wich was probably what it was, something resembling a pile of stones.

"Is that where the crystal supposed to be?" asked Lina from a deeply concentrating Ken, while walking.

"It really looks like it."

They all dashed there. It was in a large circle formation, and there was a small circle in the middle with a larger one in the outer part. On the four sides it had four large pylons and in the middle, an altar. Ken slowly walked to the altar and his eyes went large.

"Hey guys!" he exclaimed and the others dashed next to him.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but a crystal is a glass like coloured piece of rock right?"

Gourry looked like he was in deep thinking "Yes... I think so."

Ken raised an eyebrow while Lina rolled her eyes "Whatever. Do you see anything like that here?" he asked.

They all took a look around and than everyone shook their heads.

"Maybe we're in the wrong place" Ameria tried.

"Definetely not. Maybe... we're too late."

As he said that the four pylons started to glow red, and than they broken into pieces. It startled the gang, but not as much as, when the pieces transformed into four golems.

"Hmmm... Something tells me, they're not the friendly type piece of moving stones." stated Ken.

Gourry charged one of them and chopped it down with his sword.

Lina was a bit stressed by the travel-for-nothing, so she just blasted one with a fireball, not even bothering to be afraid or anything.

Ameria shot one back with a Bomb di Wind, and Zel finished it off with a Ra Tilt.

The last one was a bit more of a trouble for Ken, who tried to get his sword under controll. After a bit of practise, he managed to take his agressor down. Xellos was watching it from the distance.

"Now that wasn't so bad. I expected more from a world conquering deamon." said Zel in his usual sarcastic tone.

After they relaxed a bit, Ken sat down on the ground and went into a deeply thinking position again.

"Hmmm... what to do now." He than took his backpack off and searched for his map. After finding it, he unfolded it and everyone gathered around him.

"There are two crystals at equal distances from here." he explained.

"Really? And what's that?" Gourry pointed with childish curiosity in his voice.

"Seiruun."

"Oh. And that?"

Ken sweatdropped "Drool stain."

"Oh. And this?"

He pulled off the spot Gourry was pointing at and gave him it "A bug."

"Oh. and-" he was cut short by Lina's slipper, who really had enough of it.

Just than Xellos appeared next to them.

"And where have YOU been?" asked Lina with an undertone that could kill.

"I just checked something." answred the startled mazoku.

"It's too late to start going anywhere." sighed Ken.

"There's a city not far from here." stated Ameria.

"Let's find an inn for the night." and with that Lina started to march, but stopped suddenly and turned to the others "In wich direction is the town?"

Everyone facefaulted, and Ameria raised her hand in the air and pointed at a direction while she still had her face on the ground.

They all pulled themselves together and followed her.

/-------------------------------------------------------------------

The setting sun's light painted the sky to a crimson ocean. As the wind blew trough the fields the temperture went down making Ameria shiver a bit. Zelgadiss put an arm around her and rubbed her upper arm to make her feel better. At that Xellos shrugged and tried to leave some distance between himself and them.

He directed his sight to the new member and smiled. "Let's have some fun." he thought and teleported next to him. That startled him and he almost fell to the ground because of it "Don't do that again!"

His smile turned into a grin.

"Do what?" Xellos asked in his irritating manner.

Ken sighed in response "Never mind."

They walked a few paces and Xellos' sheer presence made Ken nervous.

"By the way... why did you came along?" he asked from the mazoku while trying to decifer his expression.

He grinned in response "Sore wa himitsu desu." he chimed again.

This simple sentence seemed to have a great effect on every member of the Shinzoku race. Xellos enjoyed the confusion and that deep fear he radiated.

"You have an interesting weapon there, dragon." he said with a grin on the end.

He could feel that his anger grew "I told you a few times... I am NOT a dragon." he said slowly but confidently. "I am normal."

"Oh, I don't make mistakes. I know you are, maybe not a complete one, but still... You ARE a dragon." he fed his annoyance.

Ken had a wein popping out on his forehead, but managed to have himself under control. He slowly turned to Lina an started to shout to her "Hey Lina!"

She turned her head to him, than he continued "Mind if I kill him?" and he pointed at Xel, who's levitating next to him.

She grinned and faced foreward "Nop."

Ken than took a look at Xellos who really enjoyed the ammount of anger he had by now.

"Just one more thing..." Ken thought to himself.

"You know that I killed hundreds of your kind in the Kouma-sensou, dragon?" Xellos tried to get him to an outburst, and got what he wanted.

Ken reached back under his cape and pulled his sword from it. He held the end of the blade and tried to hit Xellos in the head with the hilt, like a club. He was expecting it and dodged the blow without a problem.

"How can one being be so... annoying?" he asked form himself while aiming his next shot.

"Yare, yare Ken-chan. You dragons are so short tempered." he waved a hand and it made him more annoyed, if possible. This went on for a few minutes and it really dug up some old memories. Some memories that everyone tried to forget.

"Like in the old days..." Gourry stated.

"Too much like it." said Lina with annoyance in her voice and a hand on forehead.

Zelgadiss seemed to be annoyed by all this as well. Ameria noticed it and gave a kiss on his cheek to get his attention "Think happy." she said with a smile that could kill any mazoku.

It had it's effect on Xellos too. He stopped for a second and twiched. Ken caught on the moment and gave him a direct hit on the head. He stood there for a moment, than he fell back like a board.

"Serves you well, mazoku." he than put his weapon away and resumed walking.

"Are you sure?" Silphiel's voice made Ken to slow down and walk at her pace, in the back of the group.

"Of what?" he asked back.

She blushed a bit "You know... that you are not from the Shinzoku race." she tried to be sensitive on this topic.

"I remember being human... noramal. Strong sorcerer, but still a normal human." he tried not to be rude.

"I didn't ment to..." she tried to defend herself "Xellos-san really thinks you are one, and he does the same he did to Firia-san. Atleast Lina-san said he did these things."

"Hmmm..."

That was his only answer.

A few minutes passed and silence took over the area. Though not for long, because Silphiel broke it "Isn't it beautiful?" she said, while looking at the setting sun.

Ken wanted to direct his eyes at the sun, but couldn't, because they stopped at Silphiel. "Yes... beautiful." than he realised what he did and quickly snapped foreward and tried to hide his blush. He didn't notice, that Lina saw the whole thing. It got a cheerful smile on her face.

/-------------------------------------------------------------------

They reached the town and took the shortest road to the nearest inn. Another unforgettable dinner with Lina and Gourry passed and everything went smoothly. Xellos still hadn't shown up since Ken knocked him out so everyone was cheerful, except...

"Ameria!" Lina shouted technically into her ears.

"What?" she asked like she just came back from another universe.

"What's with you? Usually you are the most cheerful thing I can think of. Did Zelgadiss' gloomcloud infected you or what?" Lina with her sensitive manners...

"You should tell him." Silphiel joined in, while she sat into the hot water next to Lina and Ameria. They were all in the inn's natural hot-water bath.

"Oh... so that's all about." Lina said than took a look at her not so cheerful friend.

"You know..." she started a sentence, than her voice trailed off to get her attention, than resumed "Zel's pretty smart when it comes to technically everything, BUT, these things are way off that list."

"I'm just waiting for the right moment." she said with a weaker than usual voice.

"Well... he ought to catch up sooner or later. This is one thing you can't hide for too long." Lina stated with her eyes closed.

"Life is too short to waste. Besides, what can possibly go wrong?" Silphiel tried to pour some confidence into her friend.

Ameria than took a deep breath and rolled her hand into a fist "I'll do it!" she stood up and wanted to walk for the door, but Lina stopped her "I think you should get dressed first. Despite his ability to concentrate, I don't think Zel could listen to you while you have no clothes on."

She blushed and sat down into the water again.

/-------------------------------------------------------------------

Zelgadiss opened the door to his and the other guy's bedroom. This time Lina wanted to sleep and chat with the girls for some reason.

He thought about what Lina said they were doing... "Girl stuff." her voice still chimed in his ears. Zel knew it was the time to leave, and fast.

As he walked into the room, he saw Gourry already snoring and Ken with pillows on his ears. He than gave up and sat up on his bed.

Zel walked and sat on his bed too. His eyes were pointing at the floor, but his thoughts were way off from it.

"What's wrong?" Ken asked with a childish face like Gourry used to make.

Zelgadiss sighed... "I'm concerned about Ameria... She worked so troubled lately."

He than raised his head, than shook it "Just... forget about it."

"Sometimes it helps to talk, no matter to who." Ken stated while he played with his pillow.

Silence started to overcome the room, despite Gourry's snoring, and Ken thought it would be better to talk.

"What were you like as a chimaera?"

Zel raised his gaze at him "... blue ...and rocky."

Ken raised an eyebrow at that "You're not the rhetor in the family, eh?"

Now Zel raised an eyebrow.

"By the way... you said you'll tell me how you broke your curse, remember?"

Zel closed his eyes "That's a long story."

Ken glanced left than right "We have time."

Maybe it was the way he looked at him, or maybe it was his concern he wanted to push away with talking, but still, he started his story.

"All I wanted to have, was my own body. Despite that little voice that told me to accept Ameria's invitation and come to Seiruun, I had no other motivation, so I went off on a long trek to find my cure."

Than he took a journey into his memories.

/-------------------------------------------------------------------

It was a beautiful landscape with a small forest in the background and fields of flowers covered everything. The sun was shining and the only thing that was gloomy was our very own gloom-chimaera.

He sat on a log and ran his eyes trough his newest lead-for-a-cure. It was an ancient book wich he got from a gang of bandits wich were unlucky enough to attack him.

"Nothing... Nothing! ...NOTHING!" he clapsed the book closed and sighed in exesparation.

After a few minutes of self pity, Zelgadiss' attention was directed at a being wich ran at him with high speed.

He jumped out of the way, and the being demolished the log on wich Zel was sitting.

After that Zel had some time to survail his attacker. It was partially human.

"Who are you, and what do you want?" Zel demanded.

"My name is of no use to you. Now give me that book!" the demonic being said with determination in his voice.

He hidden his body well, just like Zelgadiss, though he could see that he had green scaly skin.

"It won't be of any use to you." Zel said and threw the book to him.

He too read it trough and found nothing. He threw it on the ground and released a growl.

This startled Zelgadiss a bit. "Were you human too?"

"Human?... Yes human... I was human. Now a deamon. Not human. Not deamon." and he shook his head, like he was argueing with himself.

Zelgadiss saw he had some problems with his head.

"Maybe you should rest for a while."

"Rest? No rest! I had enough!" he started to go ballistic.

"Look. I don't want to hurt you..." Zelgadiss started to reach for his sword.

"Searching for soo long... soo long..." he seemed to quiet down a bit.

"Searching? For a cure, to your state?" Zelgadiss tried to get some info from him.

"For fifty years..." the green half-deamon murmured.

"What?" Zel seemed to be in shock at that "Fifty... years..." he thought to himself "He went crazy by all of it."

"I am... I was Dumah. I don't have friends, nor a name now." he seemed to have an outburst again.

"The humans think I am a deamon. Maybe the deamons like me if I be a deamon." he again seemed to have a conversation with himself.

"What? You don't want to act like a monster, do you?" Zel reached for the hilt of his sword.

"A monster... Yes! A MONSTER! I KILL, I DESTROY!" He again roared and his eyes started to glow red.

"I was cursed. Now I am the curse!" and he started to run.

But not at Zelgadiss. He ran in the direction of the nearest town. Zel tried not to think about the parallelism between them. He shook his head and ran after the now uncontrollable monster. He reached him just before the town.

He jumped infront of him and pulled out his sword.

"Don't do it." Zel tried to get some sence into him.

"I kill everyone!" he roared and his eyes were gleaming red by now.

He attacked Zelgadiss, who jumped out of the way. Dumah caught on the chance and ran for the town.

He jumped into a street, where children were playing. In an instant he appeared behind a small girl. The others who were playing with her ran away screaming, but the little girl was too frightened to move.

Dumah raised his claws above his head and as he slashed foreward, time seemed to move in slow motion. His claws stopped and made a sound like it hit stone. Wich it did, because Zelgadiss jumped between his claws and the girl. He punched Dumah away and gave him last glance.

"Elmekia Flare!" with that Zel shot a blue-white beam of light from his hand, and destroyed the astral body of the now monsterous Dumah. He fell to the ground lifelessly.

Zel got a chance to see what his future can hold for him, and it did it's purpose.

"He searched for fifty years... No friends, no family... He lost his humanity."

He was dragged from his trance by a pull on his cape. He turned around to see, that it was the little girl who he just saved. He leaned down to get on her level.

"What is it? Are you hurt?" He said in his softest voice. He noticed that the little girl had short black hair and deep blue eyes. It startled him a bit as he remembered someone.

Just than the girl kissed him in the cheek than ran a bit further. She turned around and waved to him. "Thank you!" she shouted than ran probably to her parents.

Zelgadiss rose to stand and took a look around.

"Maybe... it isn't worth it..."

/-------------------------------------------------------------------

"Hey, hey hey!" Ken snapped Zel out of his story-time mood.

"What does this has to do with your curse?" Ken asked.

"I'm just getting to that."

He scratched the side of his face.

"So I had the worst case scenario, and realised, there are worst things than a stone body."

He than took a look at his human hand and smiled.

"Though I still wanted to find a cure, I couldn't loose the... feeling... of..."

He tired to formulate but couldn't.

"Try phrases and sentences." Ken suggested with a sarcastic undertone.

Zel blushed a bit and continued "So I had this voice in me that said I can live a normal life, and that I should come back to Ameria. With time it grew stronger and stronger. After three years of travelling, I couldn't loose the feeling and took my way to Seiruun city. It was hard, I mean I only sent her a few letters, and she wrote every week to me..."

/-------------------------------------------------------------------

Just after Zelgadiss first opened the doors to the Seiruun palace after more than three years, he got a nice surprise.

He was in a waiting room and the door just creeked open. Ameria's smile was the first he saw, and then a flash of pink as she tackled him to the ground in a hug.

"It's soooo nice to see you. It's been sooooo long." she squeaked in her usual voice.

"You haven't changed much." Zel stated with a bit of red on his cheeks.

Ameria than got off him and took a closer look at him. It was like she only realised Zel was still a chimaera.

"Yes, I'm still stone." he said with a sigh.

At that Ameria's eyes got teary "And you came back?"

"I learned some things the hard way." he said with sorrow in his eyes.

/-------------------------------------------------------------------

"After a year of... wooing, I asked her to be my wife." and with every word his face got redder and redder.

"I still don't know how this effects your curse." Ken got a bit annoyed and confused.

"Wait it out." Zel said with an index finger raised.

"As I said, I asked her, and she said yes in her own way. She gave me a hug that would kill any normal human."

"Phil didn't like the thought of her daughter being married to a chimaera, but Ameria told him it was what she wanted."

"And this is, where it started. On the wedding night..."

/-------------------------------------------------------------------

Zel was only minutes away from being married, and it really frightened him.

"Inhale, exhale... In... Out..." he tried everything he knew to get his adrenaline down, but nothing seemed to have an effect. He stood next to the altar and took a look around.

He instantly saw Lina with the largest grin her face could handle. And Gourry, who pointed a thumbs-up at him. Strangely, it cooled him off a bit.

Just than the music started and the large double-doors slowly opened. Ameria walked down the lane with her father at her side.

Zel forgot every bit of nervousness he had when he saw her. He even forgot to breathe for a few seconds.

When she was at his side Phil gave a look at the chimaera wich Zel answered with a nod. Phil than took his place and the ceremony started.

When the priest said the line "If any of you knows something wich can cause the marriage to disrupt, please call now or remain silent for ever." some people started to talk and it caused Zel to get nervous again.

Phil than coughed and everyone silenced. Ameria gave a 'thank you' smile to her father and the priest continued.

"I here by pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride." the priest turned to Zel.

Zelgadiss and Ameria turned to look at eachother. His adrenaline hit the roof again. He hadn't kissed anyone before... atleast not like this.

He took a deep breath and raised the veil that hung before her face. She than closed her eyes and Zel raised her head a bit with his hand under her chin.

He closed in, and his heart beat harder with each second.

As their lips collided Ameria could feel Zel's hard body soften. A gentle breeze flew from Zelgadiss and a few people started to talk. This made Ameria open her eyes, and she got the biggest surprise she could get.

He saw Zelgadiss. Still in his tuxedo, still red from nervousness, still he had his blue eyes, but... His hair was more of a purple colour and the rock pieces that were on him disappeared. His blue skin-colour disappeared before her eyes and was replaced by a normal pink one.

"Ze... Zelgadiss?" Ameria got confused, but than it turned to happiness in a second.

Zel only blinked once slowly, than twice, faster. He raised his hand and took a look at it. His opened mouth turned to smile, than to a laugh.

Ameria jumped at him and hugged him. Zel gave back the hug, and didn't even flinched that he wasn't from stone and his back cracked when she grabbed him.

Phil gave a sigh that the future king and son in law of his was human.

The crowd cheered the new couple as this was the most moving and kawaii wedding they ever seen...

/-------------------------------------------------------------------

"Despite the fact, that I was less nervous when we were fighting Shabranigdu, that was the most beautiful day of my life." Zel finished his tale.

"Um-hmm, um-hmm, um-hm... So you only had to get a maiden's kiss." Ken analyzed the story with his hand on his chin.

"I think it was more than that, but you can say that."

"And... do you feel better now?" Ken asked with curiosity on his voice.

Zel managed a smile and layed back on his bed "Yes... You were right."

"I usually am." he said with confidence.

Just than, they were disturbed by a knock on the door.

Ken sighed and stood up "I'll open it."

He walked to the door and yawned a few times in between. He than opened it and saw Ameria with a bit concerened expression. He raised an eyebrow at that.

"Is... something wrong?"

"Nnnot really." she answered with a weak fake smile.

Zelgadiss jumped up and walked to her. Ken got out of the way of the two and thought it would be better to get back to his bed. "I can hear it, whether I want to or not..." he thought.

Ameria took a look around and grabbed Zel's hand.

"We need to talk... but not here." and with that she dragged Zel to the girl's room. As she pushed the door open and walked inside, Zel noticed that Lina and Silphiel weren't there.

While he done that Ameria turned to him and tried to get some courage. Zelgadiss noticed it and tried to break the ice.

"Does this has to do something with your mood lately?" you could of seen that he only poke about in the dark.

She took a deep breath and put a tinch of wet hair out of her face.

"Yes... and do you remember that flu I had?"

He nodded slowly.

"Well... I think, you should sit down."

This sentence made Zel more nervous than a mazoku in a care bear conn.

"Zelgadiss... Weregoingtohaveababy." she babbled quickly.

Zel's right eye flinched for a second.

"Excuse me, but could you repeat that. I thought I heard that we're going ot have a baby." he said with his voice weak.

"You heard right. You're going to be a father."

Her expression mirrored her feelings, wich were reliefed and happy. But than she noticed that Zelgadiss hadn't said anything, nor moved.

"Are you... alright?" she asked while she waved a hand before his eyes. He didn't moved and it frightened her.

She dashed out of the room and ran down the hallway. She saw Silphiel walking at her and she grabbed her hand.

"Silphiel-sanZelgadissisintrouble!" she babbled.

"Wha-" and she was cut off by Ameria who started to drag her into the room where Zel was still standing.

After Sil took a look at him she turned to a very concerned Ameria "What did you do to him?"

"I told him..." she answered her wih teary eyes.

She than redirected her ayes at him "I think he's not breathing." Sil said while she had an ear before Zel's mouth.

Then they both jumped back as Zel took a large breath and took a step back. He blinked twice and turned to a quite frightened Ameria.

"Ameria! You..." his voice trailed off as he pointed at her. She answered with a cheerful nod. "And me..." She nodded again. Zel's mouth turned to a smile and than he started a laugh and grabbed Ameria in a hug.

She did the same, than Zel picked her up and made a few circles with her in the room until he got dizzy. They ended the performance with a passionate kiss.

"Ahhh..." Silphiel awed in sympathy "I'm so happy for you."

She than thought it would be better to leave them alone for a while and silently left the room.

As she walked down the hallway she released a lonely and weak sigh. In his room, Ken followed the happenings. As he sat on his bed, he moved his ears like a cat does when it want's to hear something.

After Silphiel walked down the stairs, Ken slowly got up and followed her down.

As he arrived into the dining room, he saw Sil as she walked to Lina with a seemingly cheerful smile.

"What's up?" Lina asked.

"She did it."

"Aaaaand... how did he take it?" Lina sat on the edge of her chair.

"There was a bit of confusion in the beginning, but he got it well." Sil said while she sat next to Lina.

Ken walked passed the girls, for the kitchen "Well? He was more like shocked, than like he just found a million gold coins." he said before disappearing into the kitchen.

"Was he there?" asked a bit confused Lina.

"No. Atleast I haven't seen him."

After a few minutes Ken walked out of the kitchen with a large teapot and three cups.

As he sat down to the girls Lina coughed to get his attention.

"I'm a bit curious... how did you know Zel's reaction?"

He took a sip of his tea with closed eyes and than glanced at her. A bit of silence came.

"... It's a bit wierd. I notice-" but he was cut off by an explosion wich came from outside.

Lina technically jumped up and almost started to run for the door, but Ken stopped her.

"WAIT!" he said while she grabbed her hand. She glanced back at him, and noticed that he's looking at his teacup on the table.

She too took a look at the half empty cup and noticed something frightening.

A small quake shook everything with a thud in the distance. It made the tea in the cup wave a bit. Than there it was again. And again louder.

"This is definately NOT good." Ken stated with a bit of sarcasm in his voice.

/-------------------------------------------------------------------

The door of the inn flew out and three figures dashed out till they reached the middle of the street. They waited for the next quake, to know where it came from.

In a second, a huge green demonic head poke out from behind a large building some two streets away from Lina-tachi.

Lina than took a step back as she took a better look at the deamon wich walked slowly from behind the building to reveal his full body.

"Ciefied help." Silphiel babbled with fear in her voice wich she hadn't even bothered to hide.

The deamon was four metres tall with a long face and needle-sharp teeth. It had two hoofed legs and two arms. But instead of hands it had blades on it's arms. It scanned the area with red eyes and noticed the trio.

It streached it's bladed arms to the side, leaned foreward and streached it's neck foreward too for about two metres, like it was from plastic. It released the most frightening growl wich was deamonically possible.

Ken snapped out of his shock and reached back, but stopped when he realised he didn't had his cape.

Just than, Eirus teleported right behind the trio and started to laugh. At that they all turned around.

As Ameria and Zelgadiss ran out from the inn to find what caused the raquet, they stopped right after they stepped out the door.

Eirus than stopped laughing and replaced his expression with a deadly one "Now you shall see, what the crystal of beginning has for you."

"What! ... So we were too late." Ken stated, than turned to Lina "Keep the deamon busy, I'll get the sword."

As he finished his sentence, he pointed his hand at Eirus and shouted. In the same moment an unseen and unhumanly great power blasted him trough a few brick walls. Ken then started to run for his room...

/-------------------------------------------------------------------

Someone once said, "Stop on the tip." I rellay hope you enjoyed to read it. That reminds me of what Groucho Marx once said "Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside a dog it's too dark to read."

I'm really sorry it took me so long to update, but it seems that every internet connection in the city is failing at the same time. 


End file.
